FOOD

In Costa Rica, the word 'Soda' means 'small restaurant serving typical cuisine". They are 'typically' excellent. I look for any excuse to eat at a Soda. They generally charge somewhere around $1.60 to $3.00 for a typical plate, also known as a casado.

'Casado' is a Spanish term that means 'married', and that is exactly what the plate is; a marriage of basic features for a complete meal. There are always rice, beans and a salad and usually fried bananas and tortillas as well. All that is left to order is the type of meat you want. (See the demo conversation below.)

What food is called in Costa Rica:

carne en salsa - beef in sauce

pollo  - chicken
pollo en salsa - chicken in sauce
pollo frito - fried chicken
chuleta de cerdo - pork chop
bistek -  slice of beef
pescado - fish
filet al ajillo - filet of fish with butter/garlic sauce
arroz con - rice with..

pollo , cerdo (pork), camarones (shrimp)
mariscos (seafood)

 

Drinks:

Natural - a fruit drink made in a blender. You can order it with mixed with milk or water ("en leche o en agua?"). Generally offering:
~papaya
~mora (blackberry)
~guanabana (I don't know the english for this but it is heavenly)
~piña (pineapple)
~cas (?)
~sandia (watermelon)
~uva (grape)

te frio - iced tea
cafe negro (black) y
cafe con leche (with milk)

Cerveza - beer

Imperial, Bavaria (Dark & Clear), Pilsen etc.

How to order a casado in Costa Rica:
When you enter a Soda, the waitress might approach you without a menu. This can be a little un-nerving at first since foreigners are generally accustomed to the rhythm in a dining establishment of being given a menu, perhaps ordering a drink, and then being left to decide what to order. In a soda, things are a little different. This is because sodas generally offer the same menu, and so you are supposed to know it. This is not to say that they are all the same because they are not. Each proprietor has their own unique touch that they bring to the casado.

So if you ask, "Que tienen?" meaning, "what do y'all have?" the server will undoubtedly hit you with a rapid stream of spanish that is generally a list of what can come with your casado. "Pollo frito, carne en salsa, bistek, filet, chuleta de cerdo, pollo en salsa, picadillo, etc.." Now, because of having read this article you will know what to do. If you don't speak Spanish, what you'll want to do is nod knowingly and be pensive as you decide. You should have memorized what you like before hand so that after having waited a moment while deciding on the undecipherable list that the server just blasted you with, you can say, "con pescado por favor", "with fish please", or whatever it is that you want. If you totally blow it on the ordering, don't worry. You might just love what you end up with. Hey, lifes an adventure. right?